Random

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Game 3. What will happen? Let’s find out together.

Game 3 thoughts

—Well, Shohei Ohtani is in the lineup and batting sixth. How will he do tonight? Who knows. My feeling has always been this: Great players always want to play. It’s the job of the front office and manager to protect the player from himself. If Ohtani was just in a normal slump, I’d play him. But if he’s injured so badly it is hurting his swing, which appears to be the case, he needs to sit. No player, even as great as Ohtani, is bigger than the team.

—Will Smith is batting seventh. He’s in a worse slump than Ohtani.

—Many people are calling this a must-win game. The only must-win game is an elimination game.

First inning

—That is not the start the Dodgers were looking for. Brewers 1, Dodgers 0.

—Home run, then three straight strikeouts. Did the homer make Snell angry?

—Never thought I would see a Corey Seager hair ad.

—The Dodgers have solid warning-track power in this series so far.

Second inning

—First and second, one out. This is not the start the Dodgers were looking for.

—Someone needs to tell Will Smith that’s it’s OK to use an ABS challenge early in the game occasionally.

—And Snell gets out of it.

—Some of these TV ads make no sense at all.

—Kyle Tucker batting cleanup in the postseason. Who would have believed it?

—”Shohei was adamant that he could play!” That doesn’t mean that he should.

—Ohtani and Smith are now a combined four for 45 in this postseason.

Third inning

—Snell seems locked in now. It’s time for the Dodgers to make the Brewers pitchers feel unlocked in.

—That’s the kind of sterling analysis that you only get here.

—I was just getting ready to wonder why Miguel Rojas is starting over playoff Kiké when Rojas singled. Never mind.

—First and second, one out. Really need to score a run here. Especially with Freddie Freeman and Teoscar coming up.

—Every overhead shot shows a bunch of empty seats. This happens when you outprice the regular fan.

—And the Dodgers don’t score.

Fourth inning

—Will Smith made an early ABS challenge and won! Stop the presses! Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land!

—Ohtani got on base!

—Smith challenged another call! What’s going on?

—And then he struck out anyway, taking all of the joy out of the successful challenge.

Fifth inning

—Just think if Snell could stay healthy a full season. He’d probably have six Cy Youngs.

—Somewhere in America, a child to his father during the Megan Fox ad: “Hey dad?” “Yes son?” “What’s Viagra? And why does that woman have red skin and make me feel all tingly inside?”

—Our version of Front Row Amy, Mary Hart, is in her traditional spot, looking bored as ever.

—Rojas walks. Dodgers really need to score a couple of runs.

—Tommy Edman swings at the first pitch after the previous batter drew a walk. Things that make you go hmmmm.

—The Brewers outfielders dive for a lot of catches that they don’t need to dive for.

—And the Dodgers strand another leadoff runner.

Sixth inning

—Ad begins “You never know how many days there are in October.” Well, yes I do. 31.

—You really have to score when the first two batters walk.

—They pitched Ohtani like he was MVP Ohtani.

—I probably wouldn’t have hit for Pages, the only guy with a hit with runners in scoring position this series.

—The Dodgers finally get a clutch hit. And it’s Will Smith. He’s on a roll! Dodgers 2, Brewers 1.

—Abner Uribe was struggling. You had to foresee them going with Hall, the left-hander, next. Wasted Josue De Paula, who is on the roster only for his bat. Better to see Rojas or Kiké against a struggling Uribe. And then, if they bring in Chad Patrick to face Rojas or Kiké, then you go with De Paula.

—But they should have scored at least one more. This may become important later.

Seventh inning

—Snell still in the game. Good.

—Leadoff walk. Bad.

—Dodgers only have one bench player left, Hunter Feduccia.

—Jake Bauers is pesky. Every team needs a guy like Bauers.

—Snell up to 97 pitches, Bauers could be his last batter.

—And Bauers homers. Brewers 3, Dodgers 2.

—See, if Dave Roberts had taken Snell out, people would have said “Why didn’t they leave him in? He was doing so well.” And now people are saying “They should have gone to the bullpen!”

—And there’s another home run. Brewers 4, Dodgers 2.

—It might be time to remove Snell now.

—Here comes Evan Phillips, who has pitched 17 scoreless innings in his postseason career. Yet he has been relegated to mop-up duty.

—And the Dodgers go down quietly. In this series, the Brewers always answer back when the Dodgers score. The Dodgers don’t answer back when the Brewers score.

Eighth inning

—Brewers feel like the Team of Destiny right now.

—The other thing that needs to be remembered: It’s easy to say “Dodgers hitters are just terrible, they are slumping at the worst time.” But sometimes you just tip your cap to the other team and say “Your pitchers beat us.” The Brewers look like the Dodgers of the last two seasons.

—Max Muncy made a nice play on that ball, even if it turned into an infield single. And Muncy was named a finalist today at third base for the Gold Glove award. I would have never thought that possible as little as two years ago.

—Justin Wrobleski now in the game. Where’s Jack Dreyer?

—Wild pitch. Brewers 5, Dodgers 2.

—Oh no, it’s Bauers again. I wonder if he knows Brian Doyle.

—Hey, Ohtani hit the ball hard!

—I’m picking on Ohtani far too much. They don’t win two World Series without him. He gave them the swagger they were missing. That shouldn’t be forgotten. And as I’ve mentioned, it’s the team’s job to bench the player, not the player’s job. What great player would say “I don’t want to play?”

—And the Dodgers go down quietly. I have that phrase saved so I just have to paste it in. Saves me a lot of time.

Ninth inning

—Why do people get seats behind home plate and then spend most of the game on their phone?

—And the Brewers add on an insurance run. Brewers 6, Dodgers 2.

—And the Dodgers go down quietly.

—So the Dodgers are down 3-0. Only once in postseason history has a team rallied from a 3-0 deficit, the 2004 Boston Red Sox in the ALCS. Dave Roberts had an important stolen base in that series.

—It’s not impossible for the Dodgers to come back from this, but it is improbable. They have been outplayed in every aspect of the game. Offense, pitching, managing, energy, clutch ability, the list goes on.

—We’ll just have to wait and see what Game 4 brings us. Remember, game time changed from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. In the meantime, enjoy life.

Up next

Thursday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Monday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

All times Pacific

*-if necessary

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Here’s how Dave Roberts explained all the Dodgers’ moves that backfired

‘We just need to win tomorrow’s game.’ Dodgers remain optimistic despite 3-0 hole

Dodgers Debate NLCS GAME 3: Dodgers stare down a sweep

Plaschke: The Dodgers are done. After putting up a fight, the champs are out of gas

‘How do we bounce back?’ Dodgers collapse and fall into 3-0 NLCS hole vs. surging Brewers

Shaikin: Dodgers should have taken Shohei Ohtani off the postseason roster

Shohei Ohtani talks playing in the NLCS through injuries

Dave Roberts says Shohei Ohtani is adamant he feels good enough, will remain in lineup

Shaikin: Dodgers send SOS to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow: Save our season

Swanson: How Dodgers’ Will Smith altered the course of NLCS Game 2 — to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s detriment

And finally

Vin Scully receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Win or lose, Tuesday is an off day. So forget about the Dodgers for a day and enjoy life.

Game 2 thoughts

First inning

—Nervy ABS challenge by Mookie Betts. First batter of the game challenges?

—Takes second on a groundout. Third on a wild pitch. Scores on a sacrifice fly. Is this the mid-60s Dodgers? Dodgers 1, Brewers 0.

—And Shohei Ohtani still looks lost.

—I’ll bet on Yoshinobu Yamamoto every time.

—Where’s this Brice Turang guy come from?

—And then the score is tied. Dodgers 1, Brewers 1.

Second inning

—Nice to see Andy Pages draw a walk, but the Dodgers go down relatively quietly.

—There’s something about the name Garrett Mitchell that I like. I can’t figure out why, though.

—Can you tell I had to step away for a few minutes during this inning? Sorry.

Third inning

—Tommy Edman pays immediate dividends.

—Wow. Betts hit that ball hard.

—Sal Frelick made a great catch in right field.

—The Brewers taketh away and giveth. Don’t see that many errors on pickoff throws nowadays. Dodgers 2, Brewers 1.

—I think after the season we will see the headline “Ohtani spotted in full body cast.”

—Wow! Brewers manager Pat Murphy basically buried his rookies for making mistakes in the previous half-inning.

—A nice play by Kyle Tucker. He’s gotten better at everything!

—Sometimes John Smoltz will fall in love with a topic and won’t let it go. Like drawing throws to first base.

—First and second, one out. Can the Brewers cash in?

—Brewers are making Yamamoto work.

—Another PitchCom problem for the Dodgers! The battery probably ran out because of this long at-bat by Jake Bauers.

—Is it me, or could Teoscar have caught that ball if he hustled?

—Nice 12-pitch at-bat by Bauers.

—And the Brewers cash in. Brewers 3, Dodgers 2.

Fourth inning

—The Dodgers knocked out the Brewers’ ace early in Game 1 and still lost. Can they reverse that this game?

—I prefer the Limu Emu (and Doug) commercials to the Liberty Bibberty commercials.

—Only in this newsletter are those types of important things debated.

—The Dodgers seemed to be in a hurry to end that half-inning. Must be some great food in the clubhouse.

—For those of you emailing to ask, the woman who sits in the front row behind home plate and writes down every play is Front Row Amy, Amy Williams. She’s had season tickets for about 15 years and logs every play. She’s very famous in Milwaukee.

—Roki Sasaki quiets things in the bottom half. How many innings will he pitch?

Fifth inning

—Leadoff double for Tucker. Can the Dodgers cash in?

—The Dodgers bunted! And Logan Henderson threw the ball away! He should never be allowed to throw to first again. Dodgers 3, Brewers 3.

—Murphy must be extra furious at his rookies now!

—Could I use any more exclamation marks?!?

—Henderson pitched well, but two throws cost him. Baseball!

—Hey, the Dodgers used to have a pitcher named Dustin May too. What are the odds?

—Betts advanced the runner to third, Small ball.

—Can the Dodgers cash in?

—Freeman gets a sacrifice fly. Or does he? The Brewers challenge the call.

—And the call stands. Everything is happening in this game. Dodgers 4, Brewers 3.

—Tommy Edman always seems to be in the middle of the action.

—That HPE self-driving network commercial doesn’t work at all.

—Only one inning for Sasaki. Surprising.

—Kris Bubic, who made the team over Jack Dreyer, which made some fans mad, gets to earn his keep.

—And he doesn’t earn his keep. Dodgers 4, Brewers 4.

—This has been a great series.

—Christian Yellich singled, Mitchell walked. Where’s Jack Dreyer?

—That infield hit seemed to anger Brock Stewart. He fired three fastballs right past Sal Frelick.

Sixth inning

—The Dodgers go down quietly. Ohtani again looked terrible.

—Can no pitcher throw the ball to first anymore?

—If you are going to intentionally walk a guy to get to William Contreras, make sure your first pitch to him is not right down the middle. Brewers 5, Dodgers 4.

—The Brewers fans can get really loud.

—Tanner Scott comes in and quiets things down.

Seventh inning

—That was an at-bat from the last season version of Pages, flailing at a pitch way out of the zone.

—The Dodgers again go quietly. All their power has drained away.

—This is what drives me crazy about modern baseball. Scott strikes out all three batters he faces, but they take him out of the game.

—And Edgardo Henriquez gives up a hit to the first batter he faces.

—I seem to be extra cranky today. Must be how Pat Murphy feels all the time.

—And the inning ends quietly.

Eighth inning

—Another quiet inning for the Dodgers. Those are piling up.

—The Dodgers have scored four runs. Two on errors, two on sacrifice flies. Not they typical way they score runs.

—David Hamilton hit .245 this season, but you’d never guess that watching him in this game.

—He steals second, takes third on a groundout, scores on a single. Small ball. Brewers 6, Dodgers 4.

—And the Dodgers turn to their seventh reliever of the game, Justin Wrobleski.

—Another run comes in. Brewers 7, Dodgers 4.

Ninth inning

—The Dodgers need to have a tough discussion about Ohtani. Yes, he’s great. Yes, he’s won two MVP awards in two seasons with the Dodgers. And if he was just in a slump, I’d be OK with leaving him in the lineup. But he is obviously hurting. You are doing him and the team a disservice.

—Ohtani flies to left.

—Will Smith, also not hitting well, flied to right.

—Miguel Rojas, batting for Max Muncy, strikes out.

—Dodgers now trail 2-0. Desirable? No. Happy about it? No. But teams have come back from 2-0 deficits before. It could happen again. We could be sitting here Thursday wondering what happened. Or thinking the Dodgers are right back in it. We’ll just have to wait and see.

—Meanwhile, like I said at the start, take Tuesday and enjoy life. It’s just a baseball game.

Up next

Wednesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

Thursday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Monday, Oct. 19 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

All times Pacific

*-if necessary

In case you missed it

Dodgers will consider sitting Shohei Ohtani after offense struggles in Game 2 NLCS loss

Plaschke: Dodgers’ three-peat dreams are on life support as the deflated heroes return home

How Will Smith altered the course of Game 2

In the NLCS, the Dodgers are seeing what money can’t buy: a bullpen such as Milwaukee’s

Dodgers send SOS to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow: Save our season

Dodgers Debate NLCS Game 2: Did the Dodgers forget how to hit?

And finally

Remembering Vin Scully. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Another year, another NLCS. What happens this time? Let’s find out together.

Game 1 thoughts

—As always, this is written as the game is going on, and I don’t go back and change my opinions to match the outcome of the game, so I might write something in the second inning that looks dumb considering how the game ended. Baseball!

—I’m predicting Dodgers in six. They lose today. Win tomorrow. Win two of three at home, win Game 6 in Milwaukee.

—Dodgers won the past two World Series. Brewers were last in the World Series in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.

—I’m not a big fan of the Fox pregame show.

—Jacob Misiorowski can throw the ball 104 mph. I once threw a baseball 104 … feet.

—His nickname is “The Miz,” but we all know there is only one Miz.

First inning

—Good to see Joe Davis back.

—There’s something about Ken Rosenthal that I find disquieting. Of course, I’m sure some people say the same about me.

—Nice play by Jake Bauers to open the game.

—Freddie Freeman seems like he says “don’t like that two-strike pitch, so I’ll foul it off.”

—And Will Smith‘s struggles continue. But, the Dodgers are making contact.

—The Dodgers seem to have a lot of PitchCom problems.

—Two strikeouts for Skubal, 15 pitches. No strikeouts for Misiorowski, 12 pitches.

Second inning

—Opponents are still pitching to Shohei Ohtani as if he is full-strength Ohtani.

—Andy Pages does it again. He does not look intimidated by any situation. Dodgers 1, Brewers 0.

—Great at-bat by Kyle Tucker. He has really been what they expected for the past six weeks. Already 40 pitches for Misiorowski.

—It would be really nice to get at least one more run here. Bases loaded, one out.

—Kiké grounds into a double play. More Clark Kent than Superman there. That could come back to haunt the Dodgers later.

—Tarik Skubal looks really good so far.

—As soon as I wrote that, he gives up a double. Sorry.

—Skubal has very wide open eyes. He looks perpetually astonished. Skubal: 29 pitches. Misiorowski: 47.

Third inning

—Dodgers waste a leadoff single by Mookie Betts. This could be important later.

—I got a lot of emails during this game disagreeing with me about John Smoltz, saying he talks way too much. I agree (I wrote that), but what he says is often insightful. He just needs to edit things down in his brain before it reaches his mouth.

Fourth inning

—A leadoff single by Teoscar. Will they waste this one? Insurance runs would be nice.

—No one has ever successfully explained a balk call. I think the umpiring crew decides before a game, “We need to call a balk today.”

—And the Dodgers can’t cash in. This could be important later.

—Misiorowski has made 85 pitches through four, so he probably has one more inning left in him.

—And now it’s tied. Dodgers 1, Brewers 1. By the way, in tribute to my old boss, Mike James: The game is not tied, the score is tied.

—It’s hard to see from the center-field camera. Stupid fireworks. What about those of us with asthma? First-world problems.

—Dodgers are down to their last challenge! For some reason I don’t find that as stressful as many others do.

—Don’t Brice Turang and Jake Bauers realize they aren’t supposed to hit left-handers well? Come on guys, get with the program.

—And a double play ends the inning.

—You know that swing Ohtani has in the New Balance commercial? That’s the swing he is missing. Maybe study that ad.

—Things I don’t need to see during a game while watching with my grandchildren: Ads for horror movies (like “Other Mommy.”) And that Sydney Sweeney ad.

—By the way, I need all you kids to get off my lawn. Darn neighborhood rapscallions.

Fifth inning

—That will be it for Misiorowski. 4 1/3 innings, five hits, three walks. Didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled. Seems like you should have more than one run when you get eight batters on base in 4 1/3.

—It is funny, though, to hear everyone praise the ace after he just went 4 1/3. I always think back to Fernando Valenzuela in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series. He pitched a complete game despite not having his best stuff, throwing 147 pitches, giving up nine hits and walking seven while defeating the Yankees, 5-4. Now that was battling without your best stuff.

—Another double play. Dodgers don’t get a left on base that inning, but really they did.

—Hey, a bunt! I thought those weren’t allowed anymore because they were a waste of an out.

—And the Brewers immediately cash in, something the Dodgers haven’t been able to do. Brewers 2, Dodgers 1.

—Skubal won’t last much longer.

—Gift hit for Jackson Chourio.

—Turang walked to load the bases. I can’t believe Skubal is still in the game.

—And Skubal escaped the jam. Dodgers are lucky to be trailing by only one.

Sixth inning

—Ohtani has become Bill Russell as a hitter.

—One thing the Dodgers do that is bothersome: When they fall behind, they seem to abandon their plan to make the pitcher work.

—Max Muncy with a hard single. The most underrated player on the team this season.

—And Pages strikes out. Another chance wasted.

—Alex Vesia is great.

Seventh inning

—It didn’t work out, but the Dodgers were less swing happy that inning.

—I find Brewers fans far less annoying than Braves fans.

—The five franchises to never win a World Series: Brewers, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays.

—I wrote that before Fox put up the graphic with the same info. Really.

—Evan Phillips strikes out the side.

Eighth inning

—And the Dodgers strand another runner.

—Another bunt! Anarchy!

—First and second, one out. Can the Brewers cash in against Tanner Scott?

—Intentionally walking the bases loaded is a gutsy move.

—But it pays off.

Ninth inning

—Muncy, Pages and Tucker against Trevor Megill.

—Muncy pops out.

—Pages flies out.

—Tucker walks. Good at-bat.

—Can Josue De Paula, at 21 years old, be a Game 1 hero? (As former colleague Bob Cuomo would say, “Hero? How many lives did he save?”)

—De Paula walks. He feels no pressure ever. What a batting eye for one so young.

—Betts flied out. One final blown chance by the Dodgers.

—I should point out that the Dodgers were seventh in the majors this season in batting average with runners in scoring position at .262. The Brewers were second, .276. The Dodgers were seventh with two out and runners in scoring position at .241. The Brewers were ninth at .239.

Final score: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1.

Nothing to worry about. The Dodgers have trailed 1-0 before and won, and led 1-0 and lost. This is why they play seven games. We’ll be back tomorrow.

Poll results

We asked, “Who will win the NLCS?”

After 11,784 votes, the results”

Dodgers in six, 51.3%
Dodgers in five, 18.4%
Dodgers in seven, 15.8%
Brewers in six, 7.5%
Brewers in seven, 3.2%
Dodgers in four, 2.2%
Brewers in five, 1.4%
Brewers in four, 0.2%

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) at Milwaukee (Logan Henderson), 2 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

Wednesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

Thursday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Monday, Oct. 19 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

All times Pacific

*-if necessary

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Dodgers could be in big trouble if Brewers steal their October swagger

Brewers get just enough off Tarik Skubal, draw first blood in NLCS Game 1 win

Dodgers Debate NLCS Game 1: Great pitching but no offense

Dodgers add Justin Wrobleski to NLCS roster, keep Miguel Rojas and drop Hyeseong Kim

Shaikin: ‘We responded to the moment’: Fred Claire’s lasting lesson for a former young assistant

Dodgers confident Shohei Ohtani will break out of his slump against Brewers

Shaikin: Here’s why the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS might have been decided in August

By not overextending itself vs. Braves, Dodgers’ rotation primed for success vs. Brewers

‘I just want chaos.’ Don’t expect Dodgers to sweep Brewers again in NLCS

And finally

Shohei Ohtani hits three home runs, strikes out 10 in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS against the Brewers. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I’m back! Who missed me? No one? That’s sad.

Game 4 thoughts

—Sorry I missed the first three games, I was sick and had to rest. A combination of Nyquil, Theraflu, Zinc and vitamin C had me seeing three Dodgers on the mound. I guess I could have written about the one in the middle. But I’m back for the duration.

—Best wishes to Joe Davis, who lost his voice. I like the Davis-John Smoltz combo, though Smoltz tends to use 20 words to say something he could say in five.

—Some online complain that the Dodgers announcer gets to call the Dodgers’ postseason games. They must have missed the Vin Scully years. Plus, no one seems to be complaining that a Braves Hall of Famer is the commentator. I detect no bias from either of them.

—This recap is written as the game is going on. I don’t go back and change things to make me look good …. or bad. It’s just what I’m thinking at the time.

First inning

—Tyler Mahle was 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine starts with the Braves. He throws a lot of strikes, so being patient will be extra difficult for the Dodgers today.

—Will we get the good Tyler Glasnow or the bad Tyler Glasnow?

—My mom could steal a base off Glasnow.

—You ever notice how great it is when Dodger fans stand up and cheer when their pitcher has two strikes, but how annoying it is when other fans do it?

—Hate seeing runs score on wild pitches. Braves 1, Dodgers 0.

—That’s OK. The Dodgers were going to have to score a run to win anyway, now they need to score two.

Second inning

—Watching Shohei Ohtani swing makes me think we are going to hear that his injuries were a lot more serious than let on. Sort of like in 2024 when he hurt his shoulder much worse than they said.

—Ohtani still hasn’t learned to slide without jamming his left arm into the ground.

—Rare back-to-back errors by the Braves. Not exactly how you’d predict the teams would score their first runs. Dodgers 1, Braves 1.

—Glasnow seems to be effectively wild so far.

Third inning

—We seem to be in the settling-in phase of the game now.

—Glasnow has made 44 pitchers. 22 balls, 22 strikes. That’s not really sustainable. Michael Harris II reaches on a walk. Will he steal on the first pitch?

—Whoever runs Atlanta’s in-game noise is stuck in the 1980s. An air horn? I half-expect a sound effect from Pac-Man.

—And Harris didn’t try to steal at all. Surprising.

Fourth inning

—The Dodgers are chasing too much.

—I like the Danny DeVito Jersey Mike’s commercials. Not a big fan of Jersey Mike’s though.

—Speaking of fast food, when is Carl’s Jr. bringing back the steak sandwich?

—Great. Now I’m hungry.

—All three Dodgers struck out.

—Do you think the Dodgers brain trust has had any conversations about giving Ohtani a game off?

—Suddenly, both pitchers are locked in.

—As soon as I write that, Glasnow walks Mike Yastrzemski (worth 29 points in Scrabble).

Fifth inning

—Nice at-bat by Kiké Hernández, even if it did end in an out. The Dodgers need to make Mahle work.

—Andy Pages is scorching the ball. He needs to get off this list though:

Worst career postseason batting average, minimum 80 plate appearances:

Dan Wilson, .091
Dal Maxvill, .114
Brandon Lowe, .115
Andy Pages, .123 (10 for 81)
Yasmani Grandal, .127
Rhys Hoskins, .141
Austin Meadows, .145
Jason Heyward, .145
Mike Bordick, .148
Mark McLemore, .152

—Glasnow walked Austin Riley. These walks are going to cost him at some point.

—Mookie Betts never swings at the first pitch. Michael Harris II swings at every first pitch.

—I’m not sure how the Tomahawk Chop chant is still a thing.

—Ronald Acuña Jr. walks. And that’s it for Glasnow. Only one hit, but five walks.

—Matt Olson creamed that ball. If any of us had been playing second, we’d have said, “What? A ball was just hit by us? Never saw it.” These guys make fielding seem so easy.

Sixth inning

—Will Smith is one for 16 this series. It’s amazing the Dodgers are up 2-1, because it feels like no one is hitting.

—The Dodgers were hitting .218 coming into this game, the Braves .160.

—Ozzie Albies could have been at third if he had run hard out of the box on his double off the wall. Will it cost the Braves?

—Edgardo Henriquez tries to get out of the inning. This feels like a pivotal moment.

—The Braves hit ball hard twice, but right at people. And at the two worst fielders. But they are out of the inning.

—That inning seemed to last a million years.

Seventh inning

—This will probably be Mahle’s last inning.

—Ohtani swings at the first pitch.

—Teoscar gets a hit, and that’s it for Mahle, who pitched very well.

—I’m not sure of the wisdom of pinch-hitting for Super Kiké. But Josue De Paula walked. Tommy Edman runs for him.

—Now it’s Kyle Tucker. Is this his moment?

—Teoscar almost has an all-time base-running blunder.

—Tucker walks. New pitcher for Atlanta, to face Pages. Time to get off that worst 10 list.

—He gets off it! Two RBIs. 2025 is a distant memory. Dodgers 3, Braves 1.

—Now, who comes out of the bullpen to hold it?

—Just want to circle back to De Paula. He’s 21 and spent most of the season in double A. But he doesn’t chase any pitches and works an important walk. Impressive.

—Henriquez stays on the mound for the bottom of the inning.

—Hard shot to Max Muncy, who is so much better as a fielder compared with two years ago.

—Henriquez shakes off Will Smith twice and then throws a meatball up to the plate. Maybe listen to Smith.

—After a booming double by Harris, Acuña swings at the first pitch and bounces out. Thanks.

Eighth inning

—The Dodgers go down quietly, and turn to Tanner Scott for the bottom of the eighth.

—Scott made Olson strike out on a pitch that was almost in the dugout.

—Scott looks dominant. Three outs away.

Ninth inning

—Braves bring in their close to maintain the two-run deficit. It’s former Angels closer Raisel Iglesias.

—He failed. Muncy crushed that ball. Dodgers 4, Braves 1.

—I see all these ads for betting sites and prediction markets and still wonder why sports allows these ads.

—Can Edwin Díaz get the final three outs and send the Dodgers to the NLCS?

—Díaz always starts the game with PitchCom problems.

—Rowdy Tellez is a large human being.

—Strike out, fly out, fly out. See you Sunday in L.A. or Milwaukee.

—By the way, how much longer is the postseason nowadays? Today (Thursday), is the 70th anniversary of Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

Farewell, Fred Claire

Former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire died this week. He was 91. Claire took over the Dodgers in April 1987 when Al Campanis made a fool of himself on “Nightline,” making racist remarks. The Dodgers had a poor season, but Claire was subtly changing the Dodgers, signing players such as Mickey Hatcher and acquiring Tim Belcher. Before the 1988 season, Claire signed Kirk Gibson to a three-year, $4.5-million deal (doesn’t that contract sound quaint nowadays). He acquired Alfredo Griffin, Jay Howell and Jesse Orosco, among other moves. And we all know how the 1988 season ended.

More important, Claire may have been one of the nicest people in history. He took part in the “Ask… “ series in this newsletter, and would check in with critiques and compliments throughout the history of this newsletter. If I needed to contact a retired player for an “Ask…” interview, he invariably had their number. He will be missed.

Former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley, on Claire: “We hired Fred in 1969 as publicity director when he was the beat writer covering the Dodgers for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He then began a distinguished 30-year career with the Dodgers. Fred was a talented team player and everyone in the organization enjoyed working with him. We were all happy when he was Executive Vice President and named major league Executive of the Year after the 1988 Dodgers won the World Series. Our thoughts are with his wife Sheryl and the entire family.”

Time for a poll

Who will win the NLCS?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Up next

Sunday at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

Monday at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

Wednesday at Dodgers, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

Thursday at Dodgers, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

*Friday, Oct. 16 at Dodgers, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

*Sunday, Oct. 18 at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

*Monday, Oct. 19 at Milwaukee, TBD, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes/FOX One

All times Pacific

*-if necessary

In case you missed it

Plaschke: He finally did it! Dodgers’ Andy Pages ends two-year postseason slump at the perfect time

‘That’s why he stayed in the lineup.’ Andy Pages’ clutch hit carries Dodgers back to NLCS

Nine concerns the Dodgers should have about facing the Brewers in the NLCS

Dodgers, Angels receive surprising report cards from the Automated Ball-Strike system’s first season

Shaikin: Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s playoff dominance impresses everyone, especially Tarik Skubal

Swanson: The Braves let Freddie Freeman go. Now he’s making them pay in the NLDS

Plaschke: Fred Claire’s quiet impact on the Dodgers should never be forgotten

Fred Claire, former Dodgers GM whose team won the ’88 World Series, dies

‘I was nowhere’: How Edwin Díaz regained the Dodgers’ trust in the postseason

And finally

Tommy Lasorda gives the ultimate pep talk. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.